Oregon State Almanac: Facts and Figures

Quick Facts, Figures, and Overview of the State of Oregon

Oregon
is one of the Pacific states of the US. Oregon is usually split into eight areas. These are Oregon coast, Rogue Valley, Willamette Valley, Cascade
mountains, Columbia River Plateau, Klamath Mountains, Blue Mountains, and Oregon Outback. The western part of Oregon is mountainous and home to Mount
Hood and other prominent mountain peaks in the US Oregon is bordered on its west by the Pacific Ocean, north
by Washington, south California, east Idaho,
and southeast Nevada. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern
boundary, the Snake River largely its eastern. Historians say Oregon was most likely named after one of two
rivers. The Columbia River, which forms a coastline along the northern border, was at one time called the Oregon or Ouragan, which is French for hurricane.
Others believe the name was derived from a mapmaker's error in the 1700s. The Wisconsin River was named the Ouisconsink and was picked up by travelers
referring to the country west of the Great Lakes as Ourigan.

In the agricultural sector, greenhouse and nursery products such as daffodils, gladioli, irises, lilies, peonies and tulips for bulbs are Oregon's
most valuable. Hay is Oregon's second ranked crop generating 7% of the state's total agricultural receipts. Oregon is a leader in the production of
peppermint oil and Christmas trees. With the low-cost electric power provided by dams, Oregon has developed steadily as a manufacturing state. Leading
manufactured items are lumber and plywood, metalwork, machinery, aluminum, chemicals, paper, food packing, and electronic equipment. Oregon leads the
states in lumber production.

Oregon Climate and Weather

Weather varies significantly across Oregon,
but overall, winters are often cool and wet, with summers dry and warm.

Mean temperatures average 38 degrees in January and 67 degrees in July. Cooler condition exist in the east and southeast, while it's warmer in the
southwest.

About 50% of all precipitations falls in winter. Amounts vary from 8 inches annually in the drier plateau regions east of the Cascades, to as much
as 200 inches in the higher elevation of the Coast Range mountains.

Snow amounts approach 350 to 550 inches annually in the Cascades.

Highest Temperature

119 degrees
August 10, 1938 - Pendleton

Lowest Temperature

-54 degrees
February 10, 1933 - Seneca

Avg. Temp:
High - Low

82.6 degrees
32.8 degrees

Oregon Points of Interest

Columbia River
Gorge, Crater Lake, Mt. Hood and the Cascades, Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, Portland (the City of Roses), Bonneville Dam
on the Columbia, Oregon Caves National Monument, Cape Perpetua in Siuslaw National Forest, and the historic communities and lighthouses along the
Pacific Ocean coastline.

Oregon Highest, Lowest, and Mean Elevations (Feet)

Mean Elevation: 3,300 feet

Highest Point: Mt. Hood: 11,239 feet

Mount Hood (45.4N, 121.7W) is the
tallest mountain in Oregon. It is 45 miles (75 km) east-southeast of Portland, Oregon. Mount Hood is a stratovolcano made of lava flows, domes, and
volcaniclastic deposits. Most of the volcano is andesite composition. The main cone of Mount Hood formed about 500,000 years ago. In the last 15,000
years the volcano has had four eruptive periods. During the most recent eruptive period, 250-180 years ago, lava domes collapsed and produced numerous
pyroclastic flows and lahars which buried the southwest flank of the mountain.